Effective and strategic communication has continued to play a key role in both routine and planned campaigns against child-killer diseases globally. This is because people need to understand all the issues surrounding vaccines and their safety and benefits for children. To this end, the focus of this research was to evaluate the health communication strategies of the Ministry of Health in the following select states in the North-Central: Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau.'> Effective and strategic communication has continued to play a key role in both routine and planned campaigns against child-killer diseases globally. This is because people need to understand all the issues surrounding vaccines and their safety and benefits for children. To this end, the focus of this research was to evaluate the health communication strategies of the Ministry of Health in the following select states in the North-Central: Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau.'> Assessment Of Health Communication Strategies Adopted By The Ministry Of Health In Child Immunisation Campaigns In Select States Of North Central Nigeria

 

Assessment of Health Communication Strategies Adopted by the Ministry of Health in Child Immunisation Campaigns in Select States of North Central Nigeria

Keyword : Health Communication Strategies, Ministry of Health, Child Immunisation, North-Central, Nigeria

Author(s) : Ageshen Gloria Mark; Mohammad S. Rabiu & Tsegyu Santas

Abstract :   

Effective and strategic communication has continued to play a key role in both routine and planned campaigns against child-killer diseases globally. This is because people need to understand all the issues surrounding vaccines and their safety and benefits for children. To this end, the focus of this research was to evaluate the health communication strategies of the Ministry of Health in the following select states in the North-Central: Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau. The study used three key research designs: survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and in-depth interview. A survey was used for those parents who have had experience with child immunisation before; FGD was used for nursing mothers; and caregivers; while in-depth interview was used for those health who have been on the immunisation beat. Key findings of the research from the survey were that the extent of awareness of the child immunisation campaign was due to the role played by influential religious/traditional leaders; and that ignorance and illiteracy were major challenges of the child immunisation campaign. Concerning the hypothesis, the study revealed that there was no significant difference in the health communication strategies adopted by the Ministry of Health in the child immunisation campaign in the following select states of North-Central: Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau (X2cal=6.372 ≤ X2tab=9.488). For the FGD, findings showed that the major source of information on child immunisation by the nursing mothers were the respective clinics where they gave birth. Concerning the findings from the in-depth interview, the respondents (health workers) noted that their key communication strategies included community stakeholders, such as religious/traditional leaders, and complementing that with the mass media; they also revealed that poor funding from the respective state governments, which relied heavily on international donors was a major of the campaign. It was therefore recommended, among others, that there should be comprehensive planning and coordination of the health communication interventions; and that there should be adequate funding of the health communication interventions by the respective state governments.

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